Religion as a factor of humanitarian security in the conditions of Russian aggression

Abstract

When analyzing the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, it is important to take into account the religious factor. Religious institutions, in particular the Russian Orthodox Church and its related structures, actively broadcast the ideology of the “Russian world” and promote the thesis of the need to “return historical lands”, to which, from their point of view, Ukraine also belongs.

Methods. The study uses theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, induction, deduction), empirical methods (description), a comparative method, in particular, a comparison of the studies of S. Zdioruk, Yu. Ruban, S. Zubchenko, V. Skurativsky, V. Troshchynsky, S. Chukut and others on key aspects of humanitarian security, among which the religious factor stands out.

Results. Today, the key area where counteraction to Russian information aggression is taking place is the humanitarian sphere, which includes religious, cultural, linguistic, educational, scientific and technological, and information policy. The priority of such a policy is to guarantee basic human rights and improve mechanisms for overcoming social disunity in order to achieve social harmony. One of the key aspects of this policy is religion, which historically in Ukraine has been an important factor in consolidating society, strengthening moral principles, and maintaining social stability. Orthodoxy, in particular, has played a significant role in the formation of national identity. Since the Cossack era, in particular during the hetmanship of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the protection of the Orthodox faith has been one of the key slogans of the national liberation struggle of Ukrainians. At the same time, in modern conditions, against the backdrop of a full-scale invasion, a certain transformation of the functions of religion is taking place. It increasingly performs a value-forming, consolidating, and security role. At the same time, individual religious structures associated with the UOC Moscow Patriarchate are increasingly considered as a risk factor for national security, as they can be used to spread destructive narratives and destabilize the domestic political situation in Ukraine. Mechanisms of counteraction to the destructive influence of the UOC Moscow Patriarchate are considered.

Conclusions The religious factor in modern war is not only an element of spiritual life, but also a component of the humanitarian security of the state, an important tool of informational influence that can be used both to consolidate society and to destabilize it.